Religion

Religion

Rituals Ancestor beliefs, often involving the sacrifice and blood letting of animals, are practiced regularly to appease the spirits.

The traditional religion of the Montagnards is animism, characterized by a keen sensitivity to nature and a belief that spirits are present and active in the natural world. These spirits are both good and bad. Rituals, often involving the sacrifice and blood letting of animals, are practiced regularly to appease the spirits. While the Montagnards still practice animism in Vietnam, those in the United States are Christian and for the most part do not practice the traditional religion.

Christianity was introduced to the Montagnards in Vietnam in the 1850s by French Catholic missionaries. Some Montagnards embraced Catholicism, incorporating aspects of animism into their system of worship.

By the 1930s, American Protestant missionaries were also active in the Highlands. The Christian and Missionary Alliance, an evangelical fundamentalist denomination, had a particularly strong presence. Through the work of the Summer Institutes of Linguistics, these highly committed missionaries learned various tribal languages, developed written alphabets, translated the Bible into the languages, and taught the Montagnards to read the Bible in their own languages. The Montagnards who were converted to Protestant Christianity were expected to make a full break from their animist traditions. The sacrifice of Jesus as the Christ and the ritual of communion became a substitute for animal sacrifice and blood rituals.

Mission schools Bibles Colloge, churches and Christian Clinics became important social institutions include health education, health prevention and treatment in the Highlands of Vietnam. Native pastors were locally and from Overseas trained and ordained.

Montagnard Christians experienced a new sense of self-worth and empowerment, and the church became more independence's is mean leading by their Montagnard Spiritual Leadership and affiliation with the Saints bodies of Christianity of World. Even though most Montagnard peoples did not claim church membership, the influence of the church corporate with all Christian Community in Vietnam and abroad overseas. The United Montagnard Christian Churches is none political influence necessary. An optically seem as the Christian believers and politic Leaders joint as one together, because, after 1975, Hanoi regime invade South Vietnam destroyed the religious and property of south Vietnam and Central highland belongs to Montagnard its was Hanoi destroys at same time, in particularly Hanoi government took Montagnard ancestor Land farm of Montagnard and all Missionary Center, Bible schơol and Christian Clinic has no longer exists. Therefore were primary goals, Montagnards Christian and include Reverend Y Hin Nie flee to jungle as Pilgrim seeking Religious Freedom as Eli ran flee from Ahab against God in Old Testaments. Reverend Y Hin Nie stand religious freedom, educate the Christian around the world regarding Christian in Vietnam has being persecution and asking all of Christian prays, joint re-establish the Churches, Bibles College and Christian Clinics these was the primary projects the Missionary has establish in Central high Land prior tơo 1975; but, are now gone. Let us again joint hand to re-establishes the foundation has been destroyed speak one voice, one task-work together for God glorify shall save many souls has not being save.

The U.S. military alliance during the Vietnam War reinforced the Montagnard linkage with the American Protestant missionary movement. The oppression of the church in the Highlands by the current Vietnamese regime is rooted in this dynamic.

Churches are a primary social institution for the Montagnards in the United States. Religious Practice in the United States The vast majority of the Montagnard refugees in the United States are Christian. Most are Protestant though probably over one-third, or about 1,000 people, are Roman Catholic.

Churches are a primary social institution for the Montagnards in the United States. In North Carolina, many native churches are active in Raleigh, Greensboro, and Charlotte, the three primary cities that have resettled the Montagnards, although English-speaking Montagnards who wish to be acculturated into the wider American society have joined mainstream churches. Catholic Montagnards generally attend a Vietnamese or an English-speaking church, while evangelical Protestants attend Montagnard or English-speaking churches. Greensboro has a Catholic Montagnard and Vietnamese congregation with a Vietnamese priest and a Montagnard deacon.

Among the Protestant churches to beliefs the Trinity of God, Jesus Christian and Holy Spirit theological. Some churches prefer a tribal identity, others want a church that provides more support to the resistance movement in Vietnam, and still others seek a congregation that emphasizes inclusion and reconciliation and seeks to reduce differences and divisions.

Most Montagnard Christians embrace their religion as a singular force that has transformed their people, viewing it as a means not only of personal salvation but also of cultural preservation and dignity. There is a strong identification with the suffering of the ancient Israelites. The notion of the promised land-the covenanted community-and the belief that Jesus was sacrificed for them resonates with the Montagnards. Daily activities, however, may not differ that much from those of other low-income people and other new arrivals who are seeking to adapt to their new communities and become self sufficient.

The United Montagnards Christian Church

Mission: The mission of the United Montagnards Christian Church is to continue the legacy of those who sacrificed their lives to practice their Christian faith. The United Montagnard Church here in America is the heir of that legacy and is obligated to grow and to minister to all Montagnards and other refugees the Gospel of the Christian faith. Our work, started in Vietnam, must continue in America as we sow the Joy of the night's weeping.

Our Pastor: Pastor Y'Hin Nie, the father of three children, is the Pastor of the United Montagnard Christian Church. At present he is pursuing his PhD in Theology at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. As pastor of the United Montagnard Christian Church, Reverend Y'Hin Nie is truly a shepherd to his flock. He is on call to his community 24-hours 7-days a week. Reverend Nie provides transportation for employment interviews, medical appointments, legal appointments, grocery and other personal needs. He also serves as an interpreter and liaison between the Montagnard community and city and county agencies and service providers.

Church Needs: We are seeking individuals to participate in our growth in the following volunteer positions: Board Members, people to write letters of support for grant purposes, and volunteers in other capacities. We would also be grateful to people who would like to help us financially through donations to aid the Bible's Colleges and Christian Clinic projects for three Province in Central Highland of Vietnam and other humanitarian-aids missions and programs.

The United Montagnard Christian Church is extremely asking You or Your Church or Bibles University or any NGO for Charity organization in the United States and other Country in the world to joint us rebuilt again the foundation of Bibles College, churches and Christian Clinics by American Missionaries has established before the War foundation has been destroyed in Central Highland for Montagnard and poor people. Now, timely for us to plan a head re-establish again.

May God is blessing over you flows beyond of your life, your Family and Your Churches.

Contact Reverend Y'Hin Nie for further information on how you can help. Thank you.

Address: 1204 Picard St. Greensboro, NC 27405 Phone: 336-253-2092

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Montagnard History

About 85 % of the 7 millions of Vietnam's ethnic-minority population belong to indigenous ethnic minorities, whose settlement areas have for many centuries been the mountain regions of Vietnam.

There are 54 tribes and dialects. Always lives in peace, farms, hunting, fishing to honor they ancestor territory is Central Highland has preserves to them. The town (Buon Ma Thuot City) is built right on the highland of 500 meters above the sea level. It is the capital town of Dak Lak province, with about 100,000 inhabitants. The Central highland geographical: North limited at border of 17 parallels, South limited at Phuoc-long, East limited at border long-range of Mountain east coastal of ocean, ,and west limited at border of Cambodia,Thailand and Laos. In 1946, in French colonization to Indochina called Buon Me Thuot is City of the Central Highland where at center of the Ede Minority. It's the most civilized and most populated region in the highlands. Each of Provinces has different tribes and Home-town is: Pleiku (Gialai) in Northern, Kontum is North-western, Da-lach (Dalat) eastern, Blao (Lamdong) South-western, Daknong (Quang-duc) western of Buon Ma Thuot (Daklak province) is city of indigenous people in Central High Land of Vietnam.

The Montagnards used to be a hunting ground and an important American base during the war. Nowadays the area is well-known for its flora and fauna. Coffee here is marvelous. Many ethnic groups are the Ede, M'nong, M’nong gar, M’nong preh, M’Nong biat, Jarai, jarai-hdrung, Jarai to-buan, Bahnars, Sedang, koho, bih, dham mdhur, blo, hre, krung, kjeh, kbru, stieng, cru, lach, ma, sre etc…. Tourists can get a chance to ride the elephants through the primitive forest outside the town

The Montagnards are a peaceful people native to the Central Highlands of Vietnam, where they lived "in harmony with nature and the cosmic forces" for over 2000 years. Secluded from mainstream society, their first contact with the outside world occurred in 1815, when two Catholic missionaries established a mission in the Kontum Province in the Central Highlands. But it was not until the French colonization in the late 19^th Century when missionaries more widely explored the highlands to spread Christianity and interacted with the Montagnards.

As tensions in the region intensified between the Viet Minh and the French Colonial powers in the early 1950’s, the Montagnards’ future became uncertain. Seeking political autonomy over their ancestral lands and religious freedom to practice Christianity, the Montagnards allied with the French, who eventually betrayed them and submitted their ancestral lands under the control of Bao Dai, a Vietnamese king. After the Viet Minh defeated the French in 1954, the country was divided in two and led by Ho Chi Minh in the north and Bao Dai in the south, who quickly lost power to Ngo Dinh Diem in the 1955 elections.

The Diem government had a complete disregard for the Montagnard culture and initiated a land development program in 1957, which caused an influx of 850,000 Vietnamese into the Central Highlands and marked the beginning of atrocities against the Montagnards. Not only did the program abolish Montagnard tribal courts and self-governance; it also prohibited the use of Montagnard tribal languages and denied religious freedom. Hundreds of thousands of Montagnards had their fertile farmlands stolen and were forced to relocate to areas of dense jungle unsuitable for cultivation. Even worse, tens of thousands of Montagnards were killed in the relocation process, many of whom were murdered when they refused to leave their ancestral land.

In response to these atrocities, several Montagnard tribes united and formed the BAJARAKA movement in 1957, which as the primary organization fighting for Montagnard autonomy and religious freedom, organized demonstrations protesting the forced assimilation of Vietnamese culture. Fearing unrest in the Central Highlands, the South Vietnamese government violently and ruthlessly crushed the BAJARAKA movement and imprisoned and tortured its leadership. These harsh tactics of the South Vietnamese government caused a few Montagnards to join the National Liberation Front (NLF)—a pro North Vietnamese movement that promised the Montagnards autonomy and religious freedom, but an overwhelming majority of the Montagnards remained loyal to the BAJARAKA movement.

By 1961 the US had a presence in the region and the Central Intelligence Agency began recruiting the Montagnards to fight against the NVA. The Montagnards took advantage of the opportunity to ally with the United States, as they saw it as a chance to gain autonomy from both North and South Vietnam. The United State’s Special Forces, armed and trained the Montagnard tribes and formed village defense units throughout the Central Highlands. The Montagnards became the eyes and ears for the US military and saved tens of thousands of American lives. It was not’s uncommon for a US Special Forces soldier to be assigned two Montagnard soldiers, one to walk in front of him and one to walk behind him. Many US Special Forces soldiers developed a deep affection for the "Yards", as they called them after witnessing their loyalty, work ethic and sacrifice firsthand.

In 1964 the BAJARAKA movement united with two other minority groups-- the Champa Liberation Front (FLC) and the Kampuchea Krom Liberation Front (FLKK)-- to form the FULRO (French acronym meaning Front Unifie De Lutte Des Races Opprimees) movement. Although the movement had a new name, the goal remained the same—to win political autonomy and freedom.

Perhaps one of the biggest regrets of the FULRO movement occurred in 1964, when eager for official recognition, 3000 FULRO soldiers who were working with US Special Forces revolted and took over several villages, killing several South Vietnamese soldiers in the process. Sympathetic US Special Forces soldiers volunteered to be "hostages" and negotiations soon began between the US, South Vietnam, and the FULRO. Although a US brokered a peace deal gave the Montagnards concessions from the South Vietnamese government, (which were never fulfilled after the Khanh government was overthrown in a coup by Nguyen Cao Ky the following year) the FULRO leadership, led by General Y-Bham Enuol, was granted amnesty but exiled to Cambodia, where they remained for the next decade. With their leadership living in exile, the FULRO was clearly split into two arms—a political arm based in Cambodia and a militant arm working side by side with US Special Forces soldiers.

Relations between the FULRO and Nguyen Cao Ky’s South Vietnamese government improved over the years. Many exiled FULRO members from the 1964 revolts were allowed to return to Vietnam. In January 1969 13,000 FULRO members and their families returned to Buon Ma Thout. Unfortunately, Les Kosem and Um Savuth refused to offer anymore concessions, and put Y-Bham Enuol, FULRO’s elected leader, under house arrest in Cambodia to prevent him from striking a deal with the South Vietnamese.

By 1975 the Montagnards had endured heavy causalities, as they lost over 85% of their villages and over 200,000 people. The NVA had overrun Buon Ma Thuot and waged a relentless campaign to torture and kill anyone suspected of helping the American forces. Countless Montagnards were jailed, tortured and executed, while the "lucky ones" were brainwashed in "re-education camps". Consequently, the FULRO Army fled into the jungles and continued fighting against the NVA. It was here, when the US promised to give the FULRO assistance if they continued to fight the NVA.

The FULRO faced huge setbacks, however, when the Khmer Rouge assumed power in Cambodia in 1975 and executed anyone perceived to threaten the new communist government. Seeking refuge in the French Embassy in Phnom Penh, the political arm of the FULRO leadership, including Y-Bham Enuol, was extracted and executed in the city’s soccer stadium. Unaware of the executions, the FULRO Army continued fighting in the jungles of Vietnam and Cambodia.

With their supplies exhausted, the FULRO Army traveled to Cambodia to seek aid from various Embassies. At the suggestion of the Khmer Rouge, they requested material support from the Chinese government in 1977, with whom they all shared a common enemy—the NVA. Since the FULRO Army was based in the Cambodian jungles at the time, the Khmer Rouge required that they act as a middleman in the transaction, and undoubtedly took a substantial portion of the supplies intended for the FULRO Army. Additionally, the Khmer Rouge took many FULRO Army soldiers and their family’s captive and forced them to act as pointmen for the Khmer Rouge, clear minefields and other unimaginable hardships.

After the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia in 1978, the FULRO Army was able to break ties with the Khmer Rouge and continued to wage guerilla style attacks on the NVA outposts from mobile camps along the Vietnam/Cambodia border. By 1980 they had approximately 7,000 members. To buy supplies, the FULRO Army hunted elephant and sold the meat and tusks to local villages in exchange for small amounts of gold. The day to day guerilla style attacks and uncertainty took its toll on the soldiers and families, however.

By 1986, a group of about 200 members of the FULRO movement made a treacherous journey across Cambodia and into a Thai refugee camp, where they contacted friends in the United States. With the help of the US government, the Montagnards were granted political asylum and resettled in North Carolina.

The remaining 400 members of the FULRO movement continued to fight for Montagnard autonomy and religious freedom until 1992, when fully out of supplies, they contacted the UN Transitional Authority Cambodia to request more supplies, but were denied. The United States also denied their request for aid, but offered safe refuge to the United States, which the remaining FULRO soldiers accepted (click here to see pictures of the disarmament). Many of the same US Special Forces soldiers who fought with the Montagnards in Vietnam played an instrumental role in the relocation process. In November of 1992 the remaining 400 members of the FULRO Army and their families joined the 1986 group and resettled in North Carolina.

2001-2008 about 7000-8000 The Montagnards are living in North Carolina is where at second large Community outbound of Central Highland of Vietnam, about a hundred in French, in Sweden and Canada.

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Research, Study and an Advocacy:

To all the World leaders of Democracy and Religious Freedoms;

To all the Churches around the World

Reverend Y Hin Nie

Request!..... to support the Montagnards Christian currently facing in Central Highland of Vietnam

Seeking Truly Religious Freedom from Montagnards Christian Beliefs is Trinity God’s, Jesus Christ Our Savior and Holy Spirits

(Quotes from Original)

(Ministry Of Foreign Affairs – Central Highlands Province facilities operation of Protestants…. DEVELOPMENT PLAN EXCLUSIVELY FOR MONTAGNARDS FOR BETTER LIVING from 2006-2010

(Copy on September 20, 2007)

In Vietnamese

1. Paragraph: Theo su cong-bo cua Nha nuoc Cong-san Vietnam, se dao-tao 21,811 Muc-su nham di c ưu giup cac tinh, Huyen, va Xa thuoc dong-bao Dan-toc sinh-song. Se di truyen, giang dao cho den khi ho nhan lay mot Duc-tin va bat-buoc dong-bao dan-toc phai theo dao Tin-lanh theo duong loi co-cau cua cong san: duoi su lanh-dao cua dang, quan-ly cua Nha-nuoc, giao-dan lam chu y-nghia la: Truoc het la phai tho-phuong dang, theo su chi dao cua Nha-nuoc, khong duoc dat Chua la tren het.

In translations

1. Paragraph:… according to the official announcement, the Vietnam communist regimes is determined to train 21,811 Pastors. They say their goal to propagate and tightly to control the ethnic minority Montagnards living in several provinces, districts and villages. Also, their plan is to propagate, to preach their own doctrine, until the people accept the faith. They will force people to believe the kind of Christianity according to their communism ideal. They say the people must controlled by the Vietnamese party, people must trust and worship their party first, and people must follow the government rules, and Christian must not place God above all.

THE MONTAGNARDS PROTESTANT CHRISTIAN BELIEFS IN GOD

According Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20:3-5)

The Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 5:1-22) and God spoke all Word and saying:

Verse 3. You shall not no other God before Me.

Verse 4. You shall make yourself a carved image any likeness of any things that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Verse 5. You should not bow-down to them. For I am, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the Father upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me.

Verse 6. but shown mercy to thousand, to those who loved Me and keep my Commandments.

II. The Beliefs.

1. Believing that the bible total of 66 books, 39 Old Testaments; and 27 New Testaments. It contains the Word Of God, which hold the only proclaim God teaching (I Timothy 3:16; Hebrew 4:12; 2 Peter 1:21).

* Therefore any Church activities, worshiping and self proclamation of Faith (beliefs) that are not according to the bibles, is considering is humanly doctrine.

2. Believing that the Trinity created the Church, "...I will built my Church..." (Mathew 16:18). Also, the church is informed from the group of people who "JESUS CHRIST BOUGHT HIS-OWN BLƠOD". (Acts 20:28) so that, He called the church as "Church Of Living God" (I Timothy 3:15).

* Therefore, a church does not need any authority, recognition or ordination to calling a church. (Church only received one's time (IRS) permission and protection by the Laws of Non-Profit Organization by For-faith base Organization).

3. Believing the Holding a position in the Church is chosen, and appointed by God. (John 15:16); Acts 6:1-4,6-7.

* The spiritual person has He (she) has knowledge called by God and surrendered to sacrifices before hold a position at Churches. The Churches should be witness, chose a candidates and elections by Churches members. The Church Board of Committee should faithfulness to be witness those are of good reputation, full of Spirit and wisdom; whom may thee appoint over this business. A Person should pass through interview by Spiritual the Pastorals are bare witness is truly no doubted of Spiritual Leadership, Capacity, attitudes, and character to engage position as Church assignment. A person must received to ordains and laid-hands by the Pastors for this and announcement of front of Churches Board Committee and congregations. This person must committed Himself (Herself) to rules according to Church Bi-laws. Government is trust worthiness through the Churches Board Committee and Religious Leaders for church instructiveness. Its never happen Government to involve for verify after Churches clergy approvals should practice His (her) position.

4. "It was who some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors or teachers. (Ephesians 4:11), the churches can only recognition a holding position close, voting or Churches Committee approval (Acts 1:23-24; I Timothy 4:14).

*Any outside interfering is against the bibles teaching.

5. Believing that, the church exiting is to "witness about God, Jesus Christ our Saviour and Holy Spirit) regarding Salvation or Christ, and the doctrine of God". Responsibility of witnessing to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8) Preach the Living Word of God either in the season or out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). A believer need to obey God rather then Men (Acts 5: 29).

*Then, and act permission worship services, bear witnessing regarding to this Theological doctrine of God is Love, Salvation of Christ, and Holy Spirits does not require permission for each single times. Unless organize a Special events, big crusade of evangelicals some where in public areas.

6. Believing, that any believer can call "GOD" as Father {Luke 12:32; John 20:17; Romans 8:5; Galatians 4:6). Relationship between believers as "Brother and Sister in Christ". (Galatians 6:10). And God will be ashamed to be call their God (Hebrew 11:16). Since, the Faith, all languages, and skin colors, genders have become a people of God ( I Peter 2:10). It is very important for churches to maintain relation ship to "carrier other burden" (Galatians 6:2).

We believe U.N and U.S and Free-World leaders included the Religious Leaders and Churches around the World must have a road map for Peace, Freedom and inform Democracy to Vietnam. We must not allow the yoke of persecution for these Christians to continue. We must stand with one voice, one heart, one task-working together to save the Montagnards and Vietnamese Christianity in Vietnam.

Thank you for the privilege and honor to speak freely. Thank you for remembering the Montagnards people and taking a stand for our survival. May God bless the you who are being sacrificed for Gospel of Jesus Christ and all World Leaders.

Respectfully Yours

Reverend Y Hin Nie, Pastor

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